NFL Makes a Big Push To Keep Fans in Seats

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and league officials went on the offensive Friday, citing the advantages of the in-game NFL stadium experience, and outlining new initiatives to get fans into the seats.

ENLARGE

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell
Getty Images

While NFL attendance was steady last season (the total in the regular season was up slightly), there's growing concern among teams that in the age of plasma televisions and rising ticket prices, there's a bleak outlook for in-game attendance. Goodell, speaking at a meeting with sports editors at the NFL's headquarters in New York, said the in-game experience is still a better experience than staying home. He said he's spoken with many fans who have offered an array of suggestions to keep fans coming—one this week, for instance, suggested the league needs more health food.

But don't expect the league to focus much on kale. Instead, the league is unveiling a wave of technological initiatives to go along with improved wireless Internet and newly built giant videoboards. Eric Grubman, the NFL's vice president of business operations, said one shift will be the mandate for all teams to have a camera in the locker room, which will presumably show dramatic speeches or pumped-up players during pregame. Grubman cautioned that the league wouldn't mandate content and every team would determine what is shown.

Grubman said the league is also working with teams to control ticket prices, suggesting that the league's motto is "a ticket price for every fan." In addition, Grubman mentioned a "frequent flier" program, adding discounts or other perks for season-ticket holders could keep fans from fleeing to the secondary market.

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.